Multicolor printing press



June 18, 1940.

Find Feb. 15, 193e 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENToR TTORAQZ Y Patented .lunev 1s, 1940 UNITED STATES andere PATENT orgies MULTIGOLOR PRINTING PRESS Application February 15, y1938, Serial No. 190,662

9 Claims.

My invention relates to printing machines and particularly relates to a machine for printing two colors in one operation on cards, cardboard, vor paper of cut sizes.

Printing machines have ben made to print two or more colors on paper, but such printing ma chines have generally been complicated and comparatively slow in operation.

Heretofore, two-color printed cards have been made, but such cards have been fed by hand, and such cards had to be fed through the press twice thus duplicating the same operation,

It is an object of my invention to provide a continuous fiat plate printing press having set-up type or electrotype for printing two or more colors.

Another object of my invention is to provide a printing machine which is simple in construction and which will rapidly and accurately print cards or paper of any size inmulticolors.

Another object of my invention is to provide a printing press wherein the printing head or ram moves in a vertical direction and also moves in a horizontal direction.

It is another object of my invention to move cards, upon which there is to be printing, in a horizontal direction in unison with the movement of the printing head whereby the time for the relative movement of the bed and the printing hea-d is reduced to a minimum.

Another object of my invention' is to convey a plurality of cards in a single denite direction but wherein the conveyor reciprocates in a rectilinear direction.

Another object of my invention is to lhave a reciprocating bed which will move the cards or cut paper forward in one direction but which will not move the cards or paper when the bed moves in the opposite direction.

A still further object of my invention is to arrange the elements on the bed so that but one card or paper is moved from a stack of cards or papers. v

A further object of my invention is to construct a printing press wherein gears are eliminated.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a rotatable driving member for a twocolor printing press wherein there is no dead center for the driving member. y

Other objects of my invention are to provide an improved -device of the character described, that is easily and economically produced, which is sturdy in construction and which is highly efficient in operation.

With the above and related objects in view, my invention consists in the following details of construction and combination vof parts, as will be more :fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a front elevational view of the printing press embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional View taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a schematic view of my invention as the printing head is moving from left to right as Fig. 3 is viewed, and which will be designated .as the 0`or 360 position of the printing press is in a vertically raised positionthe driving wheel has rotated counterclockwise through 180.

Fig. 6 shows a View similar to the views illustrated in Figs. 3,4, and 5, but wherein the turning wheel has moved 270 and wherein the ram is about to descend for the printing operation.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the platen bed or conveyor showing the rectilinear reciprocatory central and fixed side members.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view of the end of the f bed and a receiving tray which is inclined to rapidly receive the printed cards or paper. The mechanism whereby the receiving tray is automatically lowered is not illustrated.

It is to be noted that similar reference designa-` tions refer to similar parts through the descrip tion. l

Referring now in greater detail to Figs. 1 and 2, I show a printing press comprising a base, gen erally designated asA, a printing chase carrier,

positoned guide members, generally designated as C and Ci, mounted upon a guide member connecting plate, generally designated as C2, and a bed or platen, generally designated as D. The 5 printing carrier B is ada-pted to reciprocate in a vertical direction between the bearing guides C and CI. The printing carrier or ram B has suitable rails, Fig. 2, in the lower part thereof for retaining aV printing chase or type, which generally designated as B, a pair of vertically chase faces in a downwardly direction. The chase two type beds 8, 9, whereby one type bed B contains letters that are adapted to be inked with one color type of ink, e. g. as black ink, and the second bed 9 is adapted to print alongside of the rst printing bed but is adapted to be inked with a red o1' second color type of ink. The inking is done by split inking rollers (not shown) which are suitably synchronized with the movement of the printing carrier whereby the type is inked when the carrier is ofi the bed D.

The ink plate and the ink foundation or inking rollers are not shown because ink tables and inking rollers as used on the standard printing presses may be used together with my invention. The inking rollers usually ink the type when the printing carrier B is at its highest position, and the inking rollers run over the ink table (not shown) while the type is in printing contact. Suitable means for this operation are well known to those skilled in the art.

The printing carrier B and the bearing guides C and CI reciprocate laterally together, but the printing carrier B itself reciprocates vertically with respect to the laterally movable bearing guides, see Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6. Hence, the bearing guides, the bearing guides connecting member C2, and printing carrier move horizontally together, but the printing carrier slides vertically upon the bearing guides.

A vertically positioned standard, generally designated as E, is suitably attached to the upper portion of the base A. The standard E serves to retain the printing carrier B in its vertical position and also serves to guide the printing carrier in its horizontal reciprocating movement by virtue of the connecting member C2.

A printing press driving wheel, generally designated as F, is suitably journaled on the rear of the standard E, and the wheel is rotated by a belt l0 (Fig. 2) which is suitably rotated by an electric motor (not shown).

The printing press driving wheel F is rigidly attached to a shaft I2 which is journaled in a bearing M on the standard E, and the' outer end of the shaft has an offset crank arm i6 which ts into a bearing I8 in the printing carrier B; hence, the shaft I2 and the crank arm IG rotates in unison with the rotation of the driving wheel F. It will be apparent from an inspection of Figs. 3 to 6, inclusive, that the crank arm I6 moves the printing carrier B up and down and from one side to the other side as the crank arm moves about a circle, the radius of the circle being the distance the center of the crank arm is from the center of the shaft I2.

The motion of the carrier B will be a harmonic motion, and the carrier B will inove the bearing guides C, Cl from side to side since the bearing guides are connected together by member C2. The vertically extending standard E has aligned plates 20, 22 in which there are horizontally located elongated slots 24, 26. respectively, into which slots each of the guide plates C and CI have a journal or stud 28 interfit. of the standard E defining each of the slots 24, 26 form guide bearings for the intertting journals 28, thereby limiting the movement of the plates C and Cl only in a reciprocatory horizontal direction.

The platen or bed The platen or bed D, which is that part of the printing press on which the cards GI, G2, G3, G4,

The portion G5, G6 and Gl are supported, moves horizontally in perfect unison with the lateral movement of the printing carrier B because the platen D is rigdly tied to thc horizontally movable standard Il by means of the supporting arms ill and 32 (Figs. l to '7).

The bed D, Fig. '7, reciprocates between two stationary angle-irons 34, 36 which serve to hold the blank cards upon which printing is to be impressed in a denitely aligned position. The platen D is an elongated flat metal member having along cach of its vertically extending side edges a. plurality of pivotal pusher arms or fingers, cach oi which. will be generally designated as H. The pusher nger is pivotcd at 33 and has an. angularly extending upper edge fill which widens as the free end of the arm is approached. The forward lower end extension .42 of the pusher arm H is bent at an angle of substantially so that it engages a portion oi the lower surface of the platen D, A spring 45 engages the extension l2 and tends to press the extension upwardly. The pusher ngers are arranged in pairs so they push a card forward, and on the backward stroke of the pushers, they are depressed or slide under the card. A plurality of holding arms Hl are constructed similarly to the pusher arms H, but thc holding arms are located upon the inner vertical sides of the angle irons 3d and 3S (Fig. 7).

A flat bar 41 overlaps the top of the angle-iron 3d, the pusher ngers H and holding ngers Hl on one side of the bed, and a at bar 49 is similarly arranged over the angle-iron 36 and the other side of the bed. Each of the bars 47, 49 are adapted to hold the side edges of the cards upon the platen D.

Each holding arm or nger Hl is pivoted as at 48 (Fig. '7) to the vertical edge of the ange 5%! of the rail or angle-iron. The upper edge of the holding finger 55 is inclined so that the arm widens in the direction of the unsupported end. A short sido extension 5E projecting at en angle of approximately 90 to the main body portion of the arm is adapted to abut a portion of the underside of the horizontally extending flange. A spring 56 tends to press against the extension so that the free end of the holding arm is pressed upwardly. The holding arms Hi and the pushing arms H cooperate to move the cards along in the following manner: The blank card is pushed along by the pushers H at a distance equal to that between the centers of each dierent chase. After 'the card has been moved along, the pushers move backwardly and ride under the card; however, to prevent the card from moving backwardly, it engages the holdingr arms until the next set of pushers move the card forward another unit distance. The card thus travels in a series of steps from the front stack to the end of the bed o1` platen. In other words, the fingers on the bed must push each card be yond ngers on the rails.

The card stack holder Since it is desirable to automatically feed the blank cards or papers under the printing ram, the cards are placed within suitable holding.T vertical-- ly extending uprights Si), 6l, which are suitably spaced so the cards or paper are definitely aligned to land upon the bed orplatcn. The cards being located above the platen are gravity fed, and a small adjustable card gage $2 positioned directly above the platen permits but one card to be pushed along the platen. f the thickness of the cards in one stack is different from the thickness of the cards in another stack, then the card gage may be adjusted by a screw 63 to accommodate the thickness of the card.

In operation the bottommost card, for example card Gi, falls upon the platen D. IThe card Gl is pushed forward by the pusher arms H, but one card is pushed forward, however, because of the card gage 62. As the bottommost blank card G! starts on its journey, it is pushed to the right by the pusher arms H. The next card G2 at once takes the place previously occupied by that card pushed out. This operation is repeated until the rst card Gl is in the proper position to receive the desired rst colored impression from the type 8, and the card Gi is moved forward until it is in position on the conveyor system whereby the card receives its second colored impression from type 9 after which it is continually moved onward in steps until it is dropped off the conveyor into an angularly inclined retainer, generally designated as H. A continual succession of blank cards are conveyed along the platen D and printed in two colors. It should be particularly noted that two colors are simultaneously impressed on two cards at one impression, andat each impression, one card succeeds to the position previously held by the other card. Hence, two cards are automatically printed in two colors in two cycles of the printing head;

It is essential to have the receiver H of the printed cards disposed at the angle at which the printed cards fall from the bed D because of the great rapidity with which cards are printed. The receiver H is also automatically lowered by suitable mechanism as each card falls into it.

M iscellaneous A trip or adjustable means to keep the printing chase from making any impression upon the cards or platen are provided but are not shown in the drawings as such means are commonly used on printing presses.

The container for catching the printed cards or paper may be tted with mechanisms to lower the container as the printed cards or paper drop therein. Such mechanism also is not shown in the present drawings as it would tend to obscure the more important part of invention hereinbefore disclosed.

A recapitulation of my invention is as follows:

The impressions to be made are set up so that the impression of one color is set in a printing form and the impression of the second color is set in a second printing form so that the multicolor printing will register. Thus, two separate and distinct sets of printing forms 8, S, are placed in the bottom of the printing carrier B.

The inking plates are properly inked with their respective suitably colored ink. A stack of blank cards or stock are placed in the feeder, and the card gage 62 is set for the individual thickness of the stock, and the driving wheel is rotated. As the wheel F rotates it moves the printing carrier vertically up and down, by virtue of the crankarm I6, to make the printed impressions, and the crank-arm I6 moves the guides C, CI and their connecting plate C2 as well as the carrier in a transverse direction. This transverse reciprocatory movement of the guides also carries the bed D, and because of the series of pusher fingers H on the bed as well as the holder fingers HI on the stationary side members or rails, the cards are moved along the platen in a series of steps. It is to be remembered that the fingers H on the bed push the cards beyond the front of the fingers Hl on the rails in order to prevent the card from going back with the reverse stroke of the bed.

As the rst card GI comes under the rst set of type 8, it has an impression made thereon in the next cycle of the driving wheel. The card GI is moved to a position on the platen where it receives the second type impression 9, while the second card G2 simultaneously receives the rst type impression 3. The first card GI is moved along in the next cycle of the driving wheel, and the second card G2 takes the place of the rst card, while a third card G3 succeeds to the position of the second card G2, and this cycle of events is repeated to print a two-color card.

Of course, if more than two colors are desired to be impressed, then the printing carrier must have a printing form for each color. As an example, if a three-color card is to be printed then the chase must have three sets of type arranged to complementary register upon the stock.

Although my invention has been described in considerable detail, such description is intended as illustrative rather than limiting, since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of the invention is to be determined as claimed.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a printing press a printing head, means to movesaid printing head vertically andv horizontally, a bed for holding a plurality of cards to be printed, and means for moving said cards in a rectilinear direction, a horizontally movable member upon which said printing head vertically moves, said bed rigidly attached to said horizontally movable member.

2. In a two-color printing press a vertically movable printing carrier, a plurality of sets of type in the lower portion of said printing carrier, a guide bearing for said printing carrier, a f

platen rigidly attached to said guide bearing whereby the platen will move in a rectilinear direction, means movable `with said platen to move cards-to-be-printed in only one direction, and means whereby said guide bearing and said printing carrier may transversely reciprocate in unlson.

3. In combination with a printing press a printing head, means to oscillate said printing head in a vertical as well as a horizontal direction, a translatory reciprocable bed, a plurality of spring pressed pivoted ngers mounted upon said bed, said fingers adapted to push a card in one direction and to pass under said card when it moves in the opposite direction, and means to prevent cards from moving in one direction.

4. In a two-Color printing press a driving wheel having a crank arm, a freely movable printing carrier, a complementary bearing to receive said carrier, a guide for said printing carrier, said guide having a pair of studs thereon, a xed standard having a pair of horizontally positioned slots adapted to complementarily receive said pair of studs whereby the guide may reciprocate in a rectilinear direction, a plurality of sets of printing type on said printing carrier, and a translatory reciprocal printing bed rigidly connected to said studs adapted to carry cards in but one direction and synchronized in movement with said printing carrier.

5. In a two-color printing press a driving wheel having a crank arm, a freely movable printing carrier adapted to move vertically and horizontally, a complementary bearing to receive said carrier, a guide for said printing carrier, said guide having a pair of studs thereon, a xed standard havingr a pair of horizontally positioned slots adapted to cornpleinentarily receive said pair ol' studs whereby the guide may reciprocate in a rectilinear direction, a plurality ol sets of printing type on said printing carrier, and means for carrying cards adapted to cscillate from under one set oi prlntin'Y type to the other Set of printing type, said means including a platen rigidly connected to said guide.

6. fr multicolor' card printing press comprising a vertically movable printing head, a horizontally movable guide for said printing head, a platen rigidly connected to said guide, said platen having a spring pressed iinger adapted to push cards comprising a thin ilat member, said fiat member pivotally mounted, an inclined upper edge on the thin portion of said flat member, substantially vertical edge joining said inclined edge whereby said forms an acute angle, a lateral extension on said iinger, and a spring adapted to engage said extension to press said member in one direction about the pivot point.

7. A printing press comprising a vertically movable printi g head, horizonte y movable guide for said printing head, a reoiprocable conter platen, said platen being rigidly connected to said guide member, a plurality of fixed rails, one rail adjacent each side colgo of Said center member, a plurality of aligned pairs of spring-pressed fingers on said center member, and a plurality of sp1'ingpressed fingers on each of said side members being aligned in pairs and being located so that the fingers on the bed push the cards beyond the ngers on the rails.

8. In a two-color printing press a driving Wheel having a crank arm, a freely movable printing carrier, a complementary bearing to receive said carrier, a guide for said printing carrier, said guide having a pair of studs thereon, a fixed standard having a pair of horizontally positioned slots adapted to complementarily receive said pair of studs whereby the guide may reciprocate in a rectilinear direction, a plurality of sets of printing type on said printing carrier, means for carrying cards adapted te osoillate from under one set of printing type to the other set of printing type, a bed comprising a reciprocablc elongated center member, a gravity feed box, an angularly disposed 'eceivcr for the matter printed, and means to automatically lower said receiver.

9. In a two-color printing press a driving Wheel having a crank arm, a freely movable printing carrier, a complementary bearing to receive said carrier, a guide for said printing carrier, said guide haring a pair of journals thereon, a iixed standard having a pair of horizontally positioned slots adapted to complementarily receive said pair of journals whereby the guide may reciprocate in a rectilinear direction, a plurality ol; sets of printing type on said printing carrier; means for carrying cards adapted to oscillate from under one set of printing type to the other set of printing type, said means comprising a rociprocable elongated center bed member, a plurality oi xed rails, one rail adjacent each side edge of said center member, a plurality oi aligned pairs of spring-pressed ingers on said center member. and a plurality of spring-pressed fingers on cach of Isaid rail members, said lingers on the rail members being aligned in pairs and being located so that the fingers on the bed are adapted to push the cards beyond the ngers on the rails.

JOSEPH F. LOUGI-IERY. 

